162 CATHARTIC TLAX. 



cultivated for commerce, but as its seeds some- 

 times spring up in our corn-fields, it is by some 

 writers enumerated among our wild flowers. 

 It lias large purplish-blue blossoms, and affords, 

 in tlie strong fibres of its stems, the valuable 

 material for our thread and linen, while the 

 seed is serviceable for its oil. The Perennial 

 Flax {Linum perenne) is more truly wild. 

 It is a beautiful blue blossom, so fragile that 

 it will scarcely bear gathering, as its petals are 

 scattered to the winds on the gentlest touch. 

 When bowing down to the gale which sweeps 

 across the chalky hills, it is a most graceful 

 and elegant little flower. It blooms in June 

 and July, and is usually about a foot in height. 

 Its fibres aff'ord as good a substance for linen 

 as do those of the Common Flax. A light- 

 blue species, the Narrow-leaved Pale Flax, 

 {Linnm angustifolium^ is very similar to it, but 

 the flowers are paler in colour. It is frequent, 

 during June and July, on the sandy pastures 

 of our island, especially those which are near 

 the sea. Its leaves are very narrow, tapering 

 to a point. 



